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3 Sheets-Sheet 1,

(No Model.)

J1. SBROR. RAILWAY RAIL CLEANING MACHINE.

L No. 444,675.

Patented Jan. 13,1891.

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(Nn Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 J. SEROR. RAILWAY RAIL CLEANING MACHINE.

No. 444,675. Patented Jan. 1s, 1891..

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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

J SERGE. RAILWAY RAIL GLBANING MACHINE.

110. 144,675i Patemd Jan. 13,1891.

21AM-@AEA i UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN SEROR, OF OOHOES, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO EDVARD C.DOYLE, OF SAME PLACE.

RAILWAYRAIL-CLEANING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 444,675, dated January13, 1891.

Application filed May 17, 1890. Serial No. 352,184. (No model.)

T0 aZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN SEROR, acitizen of the United States, residingat Oohoes, county of Albany, and State of New York, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in a RailWay-Rail-Oleaning Machine,of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to such improvements; and it consists of the novelconstruction and combination of parts hereinafter described, andsubsequently claimed.

Reference may be had to the accom pauyin g drawings and the letters ofreference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Similar letters refer to similar parts in the several figures therein.

Figure l of the drawings is a bottom plan View of astreet-railwaycarwith my improved device for cleaning the railway-railsattached, the middle portion of the car being broken away. Fig. 2 is aside elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section of ahanger which supports the slide-bearing of a brushshaft, taken on thebroken line 3 3 in Fig. l. Figeisasimilarsection of the double hangerWhich supports one end of the cogged-Wheel shafts, taken on the brokenline et 4 in Fig. l. Fig. 5 is a centrallongitudinal section of one ofthe rotary brushes, showing the brushshaft in section, with some of theWires removed frorn the hub-sleeves. Fig. 6 is a plan View of one of thehub-sleeves with the Wires removed. Fig. 7 is an end view of the sleeve,showing some of the Wires inserted. Fig. 8 is a plan view of one of theWire staples detached from the hub-sleeve.A

A is the car, which has end platforms A', mounted upon the axles A2,provided with fixed track-wheels A3.

Depending from the bottom of the car or platform are the hangers A4 andAigwhich support the rotary shaft A, having fixed thereon the coggedwheel A7. Such shaft is connected at each end by a universal joint A8with one end of a brush-shaft B. The other end of each brush-shaft isprovided with a cylindrical brush B', and is supported by a hanger B2,depending from the bottom of the car, in a position such that thebrushes extend diagonally across the track-rails, one across one railand the other across the other rail. The position of the rails isindicated in Fig. l by the dotted lines B3. The dogged wheel A7 engageswith the cogged Wheel B4, fixed upon shaft B5. The latter shaft has itsbearings in the hangers A4 and BG and is provided With thesprocket-Wheel B7, fixed thereon. The' sprocket Wheel is connected bythe sprocket-chain BS With the sprocket-Wheel B9, fixed upon one of thecar-axles, which axle has the function of a driving or motor shaft,whereby a rotary movement is communicated from such axle to the brushes,the cogged wheels being interposed to reverse the rotary movement andcause the brush-shafts to rotate in a direction opposite to that of thecaraxles and force the obstruct-ions to either side of the track. Thenthe track is approximately free from obstructions, and the brushes notneeded, they can be raised from the rails by means of the levers C,fulcrumed in the hangers C', depending from the bottom of the car, oneend C2 of each lever being movably secured to a brush-shaft and theshaft being supported by a slide-bearing B10, movable vertically in theslideway B12 in the hanger B2. The other end O3 of each lever is linkedto the hand-lever C, fulcrumed at C5 upon the dashboard AS.

The hand-lever is provided with a stop-latch C, fulcrumed at O7 upon thelever, and controlled by spring C8, adapted to hold the lever in thedesired position by means of the nose C, passing through an aperture inthe lever and into one of a plurality of apertures formed in thedash-board and adapted to receive it.

That part of the hanger At1 which supports shaft B5 is provided with ahorizontally-elongated bearing-slot D, which permits of a sufficientlateral and horizon tal movement of the shaft to Withdraw the coggedWheel fixed thereon from engagement with the other cogged Wheel. Therequired lateral movement is imparted to the shaft by means of therock-shaft D', which is supported by the hangers D2 and provided withthe rock-lever D3, linked to the hand-lever, and the rocklever D4,connected bylink D5 with the vibratory end of the shaft B5. The levers Cand D3 are connected pivotally with the link D5,

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which links them to the hand-lever and brings them Within the convenientcontrol of the cardriver when standing upon the platform. By pushingdown upon the handle of the lever the brushes are lifted from the rails,and at the same time the rock-levers disconnect the cogged wheels,leaving the brushes idle, thus saving them from Wear when the conditionof the track is such that their use is not required. By raising thehand-lever the brushes are forced down upon the rails and the coggedwheels into engagement. rlhe brushes are preferably formed in sectionsconsisting of a plurality of metallic hub sleeves I-I, each sleevehaving its shell provided with numerous perforations H', adapted toreceive the Wires forming the brush proper. The wires are preferablyinthe form of a staple H2. The prongs are passed through the perforationsfrom the inside of the sleeve, so that the yoke H3 of the staple restsupon the inner surface of the sleeve between the perforations whichreceive its prongs. The several sleeves, thus provided with any desirednumber of wires and arranged in any desired known form, are successivelyslid upon a supporting-shaft H4, adapted to t the interior of thesleeves and bear irmly against the yoke of the Wire staples, therebysecuring them in a fixed position.

The brush-shaft is provided witha collar H5, which forms a bearing-stopfor the sleeve first slid onto the shaft. The end of thejshaft isscrew-threaded,as shown, and after the desired number of sleeves havebeen placed upon the shaft they are forced into close engagement witheach other bya nut H, ttin g the threaded end of the shaft, which isturned up to tightly clamp the sections between the nut and collar. I amthus able to produce a brush made wholly of metal, andv if the brushwears unevenly the sleeve-section having the damaged Wires can be easilyremoved and a new section inserted, or the relative position of thelsections can be changed from time to time as desired, until all thewires are Worn out.

The slide-bearing B10 is provided with trunnions B13, (indicated bydotted lines in Fig. 1,) adapted to slide and turn in theslidewaygrooves B12 in the hanger B2.

I prefer to make use of one of the car-axles as the motor-shaft fordriving the brushes, as

shown; but any known form of motor may be employed.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a railWay-rail-cleaning machine, the combination, With abrush-shaft, of a fixed bearing located near one end of such shaft, amovably-ad j ustable bearing located near the other end, means,substantially as described, for adjustably moving such movable bearing,and gea-r connections between such shaft and a motor-shaft,substantially as described.

2. In a railway-rail-cleaning machine, the combination, with a shaftrotary in fixed bearings` a motor-shaft, and gear connections betweensuch shafts, of a pair of brush-shafts respectively connected at one endby a universal joint to the ends of the driven shaft, movable bearingsfor the other ends of the brush-shafts, and means, substantially asdescribed, for adjustablv moving the movable ends of the brush-shafts.

5. In a railway-rail-cleaning machine, a shaft rotary in fixed bearings,a cogged Wheel fixed on such shaft, a counter-shaft having a fixedbearing at one end and an adjustable bearing at the other end, a coggedwheel fixed upon the counter-shaft and engageable with the oth er coggedwheel, a sprocket-Wheel fixed upon the counter-shaft, a car-axle, asprocketwheel fixed upon the axle, and a sprocketchain connecting suchsprocket-Wheels, in combination with a brush-shaft connected at one endwith the shaft rotary in fixed bearings by a universal joint, a movablebearing which supports the other end of the brush-shaft, an adjListing-lever mo vably connected at one end with the brush-shaft, afixed fulcrum located intermediately of the ends of the adjustinglever,a rock-shaft and levers with connections v for connecting one of therock-levers with the laterally-movable ends of the counter-shaft, ahand-lever fulcrumed upon a fixed support, and a link connection forconnecting the handlcver with the brush-adjusting lever and one of therock-levers, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 13th day of May,1890.

JOHN SEROR.

Witnesses:

Guo. A. MosHER, CHAs. L. ALDEN.

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